South Africa.
How South Africa sells residence for investors (golden visa): 1 residence programme, open today. Every number and rule below links to the document it comes from.
3 documents and articles behind this page, listed at the bottom.
Residence
Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later. South Africa: 1 residence programme, open today; 0 numbers, 12 prices and rules. Every country's residence programmes
All the numbers, sources and downloads for South Africa in the data portal →
- Status
- Lowest price for one person
- Last change
South Africa business visa (formerly business permit) and permanent residence for business investors (Immigration Act 13 of 2002, ss. 15 and 27(c))
Sells the right to live in the country (a “golden visa”), sometimes leading to citizenship later.
R5 million in cash from abroad (or cash plus new machinery) invested in a business in South Africa, with an undertaking that at least 60% of staff will be South African (embassy checklist, Dec 2025). It can be reduced or waived for businesses in the national interest. The 2014 ministerial notice that set R5 million is not stored. Fees excluded.
Notes from the research
A foreigner who establishes or invests in a business in South Africa and invests the prescribed financial or capital contribution gets a business visa (permit until the 2011 amendments) for himself and his immediate family; s. 27(c) gives permanent residence on the same basis. The contribution is R5 000 000 in cash (or cash plus new machinery), certified by an accountant, with an undertaking that 60% of staff will be South African; it can be reduced or waived for businesses in the national interest. Launched 2003-03-12: commencement of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, from the gov.za portal's record (the proclamation itself was refused, 403); its Gazette publication (31 May 2002) is kept as a 'legal' event. Business and investor permits under the earlier Aliens Control Act 1991 were not researched. The 2014 ministerial notice setting R5 million and any earlier amount were not stored. Not in scope: the s. 27(f) financially independent permanent residence (net worth, not an investment). No official counts found.
Prices and rules
What is measured
No published numbers found for this programme. That is itself worth knowing: see the notes and the documents below.
What we know is missing
- South Africa business visa (formerly business permit) and permanent residence for business investors (Immigration Act 13 of 2002, ss. 15 and 27(c)): we found no published numbers at all, only rules and events.
A gap means no figure is in our data: either it was never published or we haven't found or read it yet. Charts leave gaps open rather than drawing across them.
What happened, and when
The 3 documents behind this page
- 2025-12 · GovernmentApplication for a Business Visa (South African Embassy, Copenhagen) · Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), South African Embassy Copenhagen
- 2002-05 · Law or regulationImmigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002), Government Gazette No. 23478, 31 May 2002 · Government of South Africa (gov.za)
- · GovernmentImmigration Act 13 of 2002 (document page: commencement and amendments) · South African Government (gov.za)
Who buys passports and golden visas, what they cost, and what happens when governments change the rules. Written from this data, in the newsletter.